


Pathetically iresistable

by orphan_account



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Gets a Hug, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Returns, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Gay, Get Together, Love, M/M, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony/Bucky - Freeform, TonyXBucky - Freeform, lab, pinning, they deserve better, winteriron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-08-29 12:23:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8489542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Tony has been the type of person who shuts his feelings out.Bucky was the one who could wear them on his sleeve.Tony never had much luck with 'love'.Bucky had almost all the luck in the world.  They contradict each other, but that was before Bucky fell from the train.Now, Bucky hides his feelings and his words.He hides his love and that was the end of it.And when Tony has to fix his arm so many times, Bucky finds himself going back to the lab.Most times, it's not even for an arm fix.





	1. The first meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys!  
> This is my first story on Archive!  
> It is mostly a 'get-together' story for Tony and Bucky.  
> I really hope you enjoy it.  
> Bye!

His first time in the lab was something close to wonderfully confusing.  
It was large and cold and had so many things in it that Bucky couldn't understand.  
Judging by the stories Steve had told him about Tony and Howard, this was a normal feeling.

A small robot ran around the lab, screeching and bumping into almost everything.   
Steve smiled at it while Bucky looked down at in covered awe.   
A robot? That was fiction for him.

"That's Dum-E. He's an idiot." A voice said.  
"I could tell by the name," Steve said, turning to face a man at a desk.  
A man with messed up brown hair, a graying goatee, and dark brown eyes stared at the two men with a lopsided grin.  
"Hows the big man?" He asked, waving his screwdriver at them.   
Steve looked back at Bucky, who was now bending down to take a closer at Dum-E.  
"Fine."

Steve walked closer to Tony, bending down to whispered something in his ear.  
"He's still nervous. Don't mess him up."  
Tony grinned as he raised his hands, sending a wink at Steve.  
"I'll be an angel, Cap."

Bucky was hesitant in sitting down at the crowded desk.   
"Don't worry, buddy. You won't die on my table until you watch Star Trek," Tony said, winking.  
Bucky only nodded curtly, looking at Steve behind Tony.  
Steve nodded at him.  
"He won't hurt you," Steve said. "Right?"  
Tony nodded. "I wouldn't dare hurt a piece of horrible artwork such as this!"

Tony, in all his carelessness, was acting very carefully around the metal arm.  
He reached out his hand to Bucky, who jerked his arm back.  
Tony didn't even look offended. He looked like he understood.  
"You don't have to trust me," he said. "You just have to decide whether you want a shitty arm or one that could make you feel like a real human."  
With that, Bucky, very slowly, put his metal arm back in reach of Tony's calloused hand.

Steve smiled reasuringly from behind Tony.  
Bucky locked eyes with him as Tony began to inspect the arm.  
"This thing is a piece of shit, I can tell you that," he said, his eyes scanning every inch of the arm.  
"Have to take it apart.."  
Bucky tore his arm away again, almost cradling it to his chest.  
Tony lifted his hands, making a sort of peace sign in a way.

"Not now, Soldier. But I do have to open it up to fix it."  
Steve placed his hand on Tony's shoulder, who jerked slightly but covered it up.  
Bucky caught the movement.  
"Buck, do you want it to feel better?" Steve asked.  
Tentivly, Bucky nodded, looking at them both sceptically.  
"Okay. Then you have to remember that he's here to help you, not hurt you."

Bucky had mixed feelings about the painfully recognisabal man.  
He seemed like he only wanted to help, but people were good at lying.  
Ever so slowly, he put his arm back down on the table, allowing Stark to place his hands on the metal again.  
Tony's hands moved gingerly and rapidly.  
He was muttering things under his breath.  
'God damn workers.' 'Don't know how to make shit.' 'Babies in fuckin' lab coats.' 'Be better soon.'

While Tony was admiring the arm, Bucky was keeping his eyes on his hands.  
He jerked when Tony's fingers got to close to his shoulder.  
"Sorry," he muttered around a screwdriver.  
Steve was staring into the arm at all the wires and peices of things he didn't understand.  
He thought of how lucky he was to have Tony here to help Bucky.

Tony could only do so much this time.  
He fixed a few wires and made the arm feel just a tiny bit better.  
But it still annoyed him to no end.  
"Don't worry, Soldier," he said, cracking his knuckles. "The arm'll be the best piece of you soon."  
Bucky had nodded as he stood, Steve walking over to him.

"When can we do this again?" Steve asked, looking over at Bucky.  
"Whenever you want," Tony said, running his hands through his hair.  
Steve watched Bucky for an answer, but got none.  
"Alright," he declared. "Whenever it is."

Bucky left the lab feeling just a bit better.   
But better wasn't good enough.  
He wanted to feel amazing.  
And he wanted the arm fixed.  
So he would have to get familiar with Tony and his lab.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky goes back to the lab a second time, again with Steve in tow.  
> Tony makes sure that this time he can keep his fingers to himself so he can forever fix the arm.  
> ...What? He likes the arm.

The phone had gone unanswered and so had JARVIS.  
It wasn't the first time Tony didn't answer his phone, but Steve couldn't help but feel weird.  
"Let's go," he said, walking over to the elevator.  
Bucky nodded and followed, playing with his metal arm.

The lab looked just like it had last time.  
Busy.  
Except for this time, sparks flew from the desk.  
Tony looked ill prepared for sparks as he was only in a grease-stained tank top.  
At least he had a protective helmet.

"Tony?" Steve asked, stepping cautiously towards the mechanic.  
He got no answer except for more sparks.  
"Tony!"  
The sparks stopped as the genius turned around in his seat, staring at them from beneath the mask.  
If Bucky weren't stone cold, he would have shivered at the creepy sight.

The mask was flipped up to reveal a sweaty, greasy, and tired face.  
Bucky felt bad for disturbing.  
Tony looked like he needed to sleep.  
"Arm fixing?" He asked simply, already knowing the answer.

Steve led Bucky to the stool as he went to stand behind Tony.  
Bucky sat down and placed his arm on the desk, looking at the project Tony was working on.  
It looked like a gauntlet.  
His suits.  
Bucky felt odd suddenly as he felt like he was intruding.

Tony noticed his gaze and whipped out a cheeky grin as he hid his disappointment.  
"Don't worry about that," he said. "I can finish it up once you're done."  
Bucky nodded and noticed the dark bags under his eyes.  
"You should sleep after this," Steve cut in.  
Bucky nodded.

His nod had earned him a raised eyebrow, the grin faltering at the edges a bit.  
"Who needs sleep? Leonardo De Vinci only slept for two hours a day."  
"And Einstien ran on ten," Steve pointed out.  
"How'd you know that?"  
"I just figured out how to Google properly."  
Tony rolled his eyes with a grin as he muttered under his breath.  
'How to Google. Cute.'

When Tony began working on the arm, Bucky got lost.  
He had heard that Tony was a careless man and that he work in a way that didn't have a pattern or care.  
But Bucky saw all of those things.  
Tony held his arm like it was made of glass.  
His fingers moved gracefully across the metal plates.  
He acted as though he were mapping it out, calculating where his fingers should go.  
Like a math equation.

Steve noticed it, too.  
He had also noticed how careless Tony could be.  
But he also noticed how much care he took with his suits.  
How he touched them gently and as if they were human.  
Or 'his babies' as he says.  
He touched the arm like that.

There was something in Tony's eyes as he watched the arm.  
Something that no one could put.  
Nothing had ever put that look in his eyes.  
Nothing they had ever seen.  
It was like Tony had an expectation for the arm and it surpassed it.

Bucky had a look in his eyes as well.  
Something not even Steve could put.  
Something he'd never seen before.  
It was in how Tony held the arm, helped it.  
It was how he looked at it like an act of God, not a making of the Devil.  
Bucky had never seen anyone love the arm.

That day, Bucky let Tony surpass the touching boundaries.  
Only by a small bit, but it still happened.  
Steve hadn't noticed but Tony had.  
And he couldn't hide the smile on his face as he realized it.

Bucky thought that session was succesfull.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky was back once again, but this time, Steve was nowhere to be seen.  
> Tony was pleasantly surprised.

Bucky, in all his deeds, had barely plucked up the courage to go into the lab.  
Alone.  
The lab wasn't the scary part.  
Tony was.  
Not in the 'I'm going to kill you' way, but in the 'I'm probably going to make you say something' way.  
Bucky wasn't ready for that.

He knew he said something in their first meeting, but that was just stupid of him.  
Tony probably expected him to speak again.  
He wasn't going to, though.  
He refused to today.

The lab looked empty once he walked in.  
The lights were dimmed and the lab was almost silent.  
Almost.  
Dum-E whirled around like a madman, making some noise.  
But that wasn't what Bucky heard.  
No, Bucky heard something else.  
Tony.

He walked further into the lab, keeping himself quiet.  
If he blocked out Dum-E, he could hear mutterings.  
They were coming from...Below?  
He wasn't under the floor, was he?  
Bucky didn't even doubt that he could do that.  
It was a Stark, he could do anything, right?

Bucky crouched down as he, now, waddled around the lab.  
And that was where he found Tony.  
Under a table, hunched over.  
He had to do something.  
...Say something?

"Stark?"  
God, he sounded horrible.  
The sound made Tony jump and hit his head on the table, cursing under his breath.  
Bucky didn't know what to do, so he just watched as Tony rubbed his head and turned around.  
"Ah, Barnes. How's the world?" He asked, plastering a smile on his face.  
Bucky didn't know if it was real or fake.  
It looked so real.

Bucky swallowed instead of answering.  
Tony nodded, knowing that his question would go unanswered.  
Instead, he crawled out from under the table, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hands once he was out.  
Bucky tilted his head as he stood next to Tony.  
"You wondering why I was under the table?"  
Bucky nodded.

"Lost a goddamned screw...or was it three?" He paused to ponder before shaking his head.  
"No matter. I lost the damned screw and I was searching for it. It's important for my project..."  
He trailed off as he watched Bucky with a careful eye.  
"Where's the chaperone?" He asked, looking around the lab.  
Bucky simply shook his head.  
"Right..."

"Go sit, Barnes. I'll be there in a moment," Tony ordered, pushing Bucky towards his desk as he went around back for a moment.  
Bucky did as told and sat patiently as he waited.  
Tony was back quickly with a tool set.  
The placed it down gently on the table and brought his own chair over to the desk.  
"So," he started, "you're arms fucked up. HYDRA doesn't know a thing about mechanics..."

Tony went on into his rambling state as Bucky tuned him out.  
It wasn't like he was going to understand it even if he did listen.  
So, instead, he focused on Starks facial readings.  
He wanted to know everything he could about the man who fixed his arm on a whim.

The first thing that Bucky noticed was the way his eyes lit up at the sight of the arm.  
Even if his eyes were dull before, when Bucky entered the room something twinkled in his eyes.  
Something danced in his eyes even more so when he was able to touch it, fix it.  
It was like they were alive and taking it all in like it was the last and first time.

The next thing was his lips.  
They always quirked into a smile that Bucky had never seen him use anywhere else.  
It was like he kept it locked up and only let it free when he was with the arm.  
His lips always twitched in those rare moments when he wasn't speaking.  
And when he was speaking, it was like he couldn't stop himself.

Bucky didn't mind any of it.  
In fact, he rather enjoyed it.  
Those simple things made the lab meetings for special.  
Like Tony saved certain things for when they were in the lab.  
Bucky hadn't felt special in a long time, and this type of special felt good.  
He even wanted more.

Even though he may have only been down to the lab three times, he's been in the tower for much longer.  
He wasn't going to waltz down into the lab the moment he got there.  
No, he waited five months before he came down here.  
Five months of not knowing how special this would make him feel.  
He only slightly wanted to go back in time and tell himself to go down there sooner.  
Slightly.

The time went by fast in the lab, and soon Tony was done.  
He told Bucky, just like all the other times, that he could do as he pleased.  
Tony went back to his other project(His new suit) and Bucky stood around oddly.  
He didn't want to leave, not yet.   
He liked it here.

Tony noticed that Bucky was still standing around.  
"Here, go sit," he pointed to the couch in the back of the room.  
He pulled a Holoscreen up in front of the couch before plopping down beside Bucky.  
"You haven't seen Star Trek, right?" He asked.  
Bucky shook his head.  
"Great."

Bucky looked over to the unfinished project and Tony followed his gaze.  
"Don't worry about it. I can finish it later."  
Bucky sighed but nodded, allowing Tony to stark Star Trek.  
He settled into the couch and let himself get lost in the odd show.  
He could deal with this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is back in the lab, but this time, it has nothing to do with the arm.  
> Tony just needs to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: I adore Star Trek, so there may be a lot of Star Trek in this story. There will be Star Wars and other things in this story, but just beware, you have a lot of Star Trek coming your way.  
>  Enjoy!

Everyone has tried to get Tony Stark into bed.  
He needs the sleep.  
He can claim that he's a God who doesn't need sleep all he wants.  
The rest of the team needs him in bed.

Bruce tried first.  
He only spent ten minutes down there.  
He came back with an expected looking smile on his face.  
"Told me to 'buzz of big guy.'"

Steve went next.  
He was there for twenty minutes.  
He came back with his 'disappointed America' look.  
"Said I should 'go worry 'bout your own sleep.'"

Clint was next.  
He only spent five minutes down there.  
He came back looking annoyed.  
"'Fuck off birdbrain.' was all I got. Lucky bastards."

And next was Natasha.  
She was there for fifteen minutes.  
She came back with a neutral expression.  
"Told me he simply wasn't tired."

Bucky thought he should at least try.  
Not like he was going to do much if the other's couldn't.  
The team looked at him oddly as he stood up and went over to the lift.  
"M'trying," he muttered.

The lab was relatively silent.  
Dum-E was nowhere to be seen and now sparks were flying.  
There was a small light shining from the desk.  
Tony's body cast a moving shadow behind him. 

"If someone is here to tell me to sleep, you can piss off. I don't need it."  
Bucky continued to walk towards him, not caring for what he said.  
With a heavy sigh, Tony turned to face the intruder, a speech ready.  
But the words faltered when he came face to face with Bucky.

"Barnes?"  
Bucky tilted his head as he inspected Tony's face.  
His eyes were bloodshot and he had purple bags under his eyes.  
"You have bags under your eyes," he said.  
His voice was still gross and rough, but it was getting better.  
"They're designer," Tony joked, a grin forming on his face.

Bucky shook his head as he placed a hand on Tony's shoulder.  
His shoulder tensed under Bucky's hand, not used to that hand touching him.  
His jaw clenched as he fought to keep the smile on his face.  
"Barnes, honestly, I don't need the sleep. Think of Da Vinci."  
"Einstien," Bucky said.

Tony sighed as he shook his head, pushing the hand off his shoulder.  
"Right now, I prefer Da Vinci."  
Bucky stared at him for a while before he took a step back.  
Tony thought he was leaving, and for some reason, he didn't want him to.

Bucky pointed to the couch.  
Then to where the Holoscreen was last time he went arm fixing.  
Tony followed his finger as he pointed.  
He was trying to piece it together, but his sleepy brain was not fully understanding.

"Star Trek," Bucky croaked, holding his hand out for Tony.  
Tony looked at him skeptically, as if it were a trick.  
Someone caring for him had to be a trick.  
Bucky could see the hesitance in his eyes.

He grabbed Tony's wrist, not giving him a choice.  
"Hey, Super Soldier! I didn't give my consent," he said.  
Bucky shrugged as he tossed Tony down on the sofa.  
He pointed back to where the Holoscreen should be.  
He didn't know how it worked, so Tony had to do it.

With his shoulders slumped and a heavy sigh, Tony brought up the screen and went for Star Trek.  
Bucky sat down next to him, almost shoulder to shoulder.  
He heard Tony sigh beside him as he settled down into the couch.  
Bucky allowed himself to relax slightly.

The show started and Bucky felt himself get lost in his new favorite modern thing.  
Star Trek was so bad it was good.  
He felt...safe when he was watching Star Trek.  
Or maybe it was the lab.  
Or maybe it was Tony.

It was halfway through the episode when Bucky felt a weight against his shoulder.  
At first, he tensed up, ready to throw the thing off him.  
But then he turned his head and saw that it was Tony.  
His eyes were closed and his breathing was heavy but even.  
He looked peaceful, and that was the first time Bucky had ever seen him like that.  
Peaceful looked nice on him.

The edges of his lips twitched as he watched Tony sleep.  
He forgot all about the Star Trek episode as he got lost in the sleeping form on his shoulder.  
Bucky realized now how much sleep Tony didn't get.  
And how much he needed.

Bucky felt an odd sense of protectivity as he looked at Tony.  
He made a pact to himself that night.  
He was going to make sure Tony got as much sleep as he needed.  
He deserved that much.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony wakes up alone in his lab and automatically goes back to his work.  
> Bucky brings him food and force feed him in a way.

Tony woke up to a seemingly empty lab.  
He was laying down on the couch and staring at the smiling picture of Captain Kirk.  
The show had ended and it was showing pictures of the cast.  
He groaned as he shut his eyes again.

He buried himself deeper into the couch before realizing what he was doing.  
Suddenly awake, he jumped up from the couch.  
His eyes automatically went over to his horrible looking suit.  
It was still being made and planned.

With sleepy, shaky steps he got to his desk.  
He sat down in his seat heavily as he picked up some scrap metals and a screwdriver.  
He sighed as he set to work, already sucked in deep.  
He thought last night was simply a dream.

Bucky was standing in the kitchen, waiting for the toast to pop out.  
It always gave him a little scare when it happened.  
Stupid toaster.  
He watched it with a hard eye, almost begging it to try him.

"Barnes?"  
Bucky jumped around at the sound of a calm voice.  
Bucky nodded at the short man with curly hair.  
His eyes looked tired and the smile was lazy.

"How's Tony? Heard you got him to bed last night," Bruce said softly.  
"Good."  
Bruce's smile barely met his eyes. "Good. That's good."  
Bucky nodded as the toast popped up.  
He jumped around and swore at the machine.

Bruce chuckled under his breath as he sat down at the table, tea in hand.  
Bucky picked the toast out and placed it on the plate.  
He hesitated on picking what he should put on the toast.

"He likes Nutella," Bruce stated, sipping his tea.  
Bucky grunted in thanks as he got the Nutella and prepared the toast.  
Bucky also got a cup of coffee for Tony.  
Everyone knew how much he loved his coffee.

"Thank you," Bruce said, making Bucky look at him in surprise.  
"For helping him. He needs it."  
Bucky nodded slowly as he left the room.  
'Has no one else helped him?'  
That thought made his stomach turn.

The lab was almost silent when he entered.  
Sadly, Tony wasn't on the couch anymore.  
Bucky sighed softly as he noticed Tony working at his desk.  
"It's 7:12," he croaked out.

Tony turned to him dramatically, holding up the gauntlet in his hand.  
"And? I slept in," Tony said.  
Bucky sent him a 'disappointed mom' look as he approached him.  
"What? Now you gettin' all America on me?" Tony asked.

Bucky blinked as he stopped in front of Tony.  
He stuck out the plate of food in Tony's face.  
Tony raised an eyebrow at it questionably.  
"I don't like being handed things and I'm not hungry," he said.

Bucky sighed and began to place the plate on the desk before he got an idea.  
He took the plate back and Tony opened his mouth to say something.  
Without hesitation, Bucky picked up a piece of toast and pushed it into Tony's mouth.  
Tony made a squeaky noise as he looked at Bucky like he had just betrayed him.

Tony spat the toast back onto the plate.  
"What the fuck, Barnes?"  
Bucky shrugged as he picked the toast up again, ready to do it again.  
"Whoa!" Tony called, placing his hands over his mouth.  
"Force of free will. Choose," Bucky said.

Tony narrowed his eyes at the Super Soldier, reluctantly lowering his hands from his mouth.  
He raised his chin at him in a sense of power as he stared Bucky down.  
Bucky raised an eyebrow at him as he waited for the answer.  
Tony licked his lips as he stared down at the toast.

Bucky swallowed as Tony licked his lips.  
Bucky was about to shove the toast back into Tony's mouth when he reached for it.  
Reluctantly, Tony ate the toast.  
Bucky smiled a tiny small that Tony didn't miss.

His toast fell out of his mouth as he jumped up and pointed at Bucky.  
"I fucking saw that!"  
Bucky stared at Tony questionable.  
"You smiled!"  
Bucky shook his head as he held the plate close to his chest.

"Don't lie to me, Barnes," Tony warned. "I did it. Screw you. I am the best."  
Bucky shook his head, letting out a small chuckle under his breath.  
"I heard that, too, sucker! You love me! I can make miracles happen!"  
Bucky held in his smile as he placed the plate down on the desk.  
His stomach felt warm as he watched Tony dance around the room, claiming that he was the 'King of Miracles.'

Bucky hadn't felt this warm feeling in...well, as long as he could remember, really.  
Maybe he had felt this way before, but maybe he hadn't.  
He didn't know what it meant.  
Maybe it was time to talk to someone about it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky finally goes to talk to someone about his feelings.  
> Steve has been waiting to talk to Bucky, but he wasn't expecting this talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI Bucky can talk to Steve like it's normal, he's still on the edge with the other team members, though. Just thought I should clear that up considering he talks to Steve here like he did in the 40's, but with the others, he only says a few words, maybe a sentence or two.  
> Just so ya know, is all.  
> Enjoy the chapter!  
>  Also! I do apologize for it being a smaller chapter, but I wanted to do Steve and Bucky's talk separate from Tony's thoughts. But again, sorry for the 'wait' and for the shortness of the chapter.

Steve was painting in sweatpants and a white shirt when he came in.  
Bucky didn't even bother knocking.  
He just opened the door and sat down on the bed, watching Steve paint for a while.  
It was fascinating, really. He was so concentrated and...Happy.

"What's up, Buck?"  
Bucky shrugged as if Steve's back had eyes.  
"Things."  
Steve turned around to face Bucky, a slightly raised eyebrow looking down at him.  
"Things? You alright?"  
Bucky shrugged again as Steve sighed.

Steve placed his painting supplies down and sat next to Bucky.  
He already had his 'concerned mom' look on his face.  
"What's the matter?"  
Bucky sighed as he slumped his shoulders.  
"Feelings."

Steve almost wanted to laugh.   
"Bucky Barnes? Talking about feelings? How rare," he joked.  
That earned him a slap on the arm and a little smile.  
"Shut up, Stevie."

Steve shook his head as he smiled, looking at Bucky from the side.  
"So? What feelings?" Steve asked.  
Bucky shrugged again. "Warm feelings."  
"Warm feelings?"  
Bucky nodded.

"Be more specific, Buck. I can't do much with 'warm feelings'."  
"Like...Warm feelings with a person?"  
"Oh?"  
"Don't 'oh' me, Rogers."  
"Sorry. But, who?"

Bucky paused at that.  
Would Steve look at him differently if he said who it was?  
Surely he wouldn't right?  
I mean, he's still here after The Winter Soldier, so why not this?

"..Stark..." He muttered, barely loud enough for Bucky to hear it as he said it.  
"Stark?" Steve asked, a wonder-struck look on his face.  
"Is that bad?" Bucky asked, looking at his friend.  
"Well, no. I mean, Tony doesn't really know how to...like? Date? I don't know, I haven't done it."   
Bucky raised his eyebrow at Steve, looking at him oddly.

"I'm no help, am I?" Steve asked.  
Bucky shook his head.  
"Look, I'm sorry Buck. But I don't know much about it either. I only felt like that with Peggy."  
Bucky blinked as if something came to him.  
"You're saying what I feel is what you felt for Peggy?" He asked.  
Steve shrugged. "I don't think you're there yet, or even if you will get there. All I know is that you should try spending more time with Tony. Maybe it'll do something."

Bucky sighed but nodded.  
He supposed that spending more time with Tony wasn't a bad thing.  
And who knows? Maybe something could happen in the future.  
He doubted it.  
Tony liking him? Please, that's as rich as him and Sam getting together.

Maybe he should just talk to Tony?  
Was he even ready to talk to Tony?  
He had no idea.   
He'd talk to him next arm check.  
...Maybe...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to thank all of you for reading this story and leaving Kudos, it means a lot to me! Comment if you want, you don't have to, cause what are you gonna say, really?  
>  That was weird, Delmara, shut up.  
> Right! Anyway, yeah, thanks for reading and everything! Didn't think people would read it, so thanks a bunch.  
>  Bye!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony begins to notice things and takes some time to think.  
> With alcohol, cause why not.

His new suit was coming together much to slow.  
He wanted the new one now, not later.  
Now.

His fingers didn't seem to want to build the suit.  
They wanted something else.  
And not working properly was their way of telling him.  
'Get something new you idiot.'

The thing was, that what they wanted wasn't new.  
Oh no, it was a few decades old if he counted correctly.  
And the fact that even his fingers came to that person, was worrisome.

He sighed as he dropped parts of his suit on his desk.  
He ran his hands through his hair with another sigh.   
"I need a drink," he muttered, pushing his chair back.  
He walked over to his stash of bottles and picked one.

He took a swig of the alcohol as he closed his eyes, leaning against something in his lab.  
Why did it always come back to him?  
Of all people?  
Was it because of his arm?

He choked out a laugh around the mouth of the bottle.  
His arm was fantastic, so maybe that was it.  
His mind just wanted the arm.  
That made sense.

But he noticed that his thoughts weren't focusing solely on the arm.  
It focused on his other features.  
His silence.  
His hidden things that Tony had only seen when he fell asleep in his lab with him.

'He's comfortable,' Tony thought, immediately shaking his head.  
No matter if it was the truth, thinking like that just plunged him deeper into that hole.  
He didn't want to go deeper than he already was.  
And trust him, he was deep in that hole a long time ago.

Considering that he grew up on stories about the dynamic duo, it wasn't a surprise.  
He may have fallen for the All American Man first, but that ship had long sailed since he saw him in real life.  
The whole fucking picture.  
Tony scoffed.  
The whole picture was not what he wanted.

And then he fell for the Badass with a Badass Arm, and he couldn't shake it.  
It wasn't 'love' that he felt.  
Oh, God no.  
Not yet.  
Never.  
It was just a sort of infatuation with him that made him a little bit...Obsessed.

And the fact that ever since he moved into the tower, he was always there.  
Just...There.  
It was like the world was toying with him.  
Giving him his childhood fantasies and then making them be just out of his reach.  
The bastard.

Sure, he may have felt something go off in his stomach when he let him pass the boundaries on his arm.  
Or when he stayed down in the lab to watch Star Trek with him.  
Or when he cared enough to put Tony to sleep and bring him breakfast.  
But it didn't mean a thing.  
Maybe he was just sick.

And, hypothetically, if he did have feelings for the man, what would be the chance that they would be reciprocated?  
'Nobody should care for you that much. So suck it up and grow up.'  
His father told him that when he was five.  
Great memories, right?

And Tony, begrudgingly, lived by that sentence.  
It swam in his head every time he may have felt that someone cared for him.  
And that was one of the main reasons he hated having a team.  
"Why would they care?" He muttered, throwing his empty bottle on the counter and grabbing another one.

'Cause the friend of the American Model would like a drunken genius who's only good for publicity stunts.  
Tony rolled his eyes and he drank his beer.  
His feelings were stupid and only led to horrible disasters.

Take Pepper, for example.  
He loved her, still did, with all his heart.   
But he was obsessive with his suits and she couldn't understand that.  
So she left him, and Tony was left to wallow and pretend it was okay.

He didn't want that with Barnes.  
That, he was afraid, would do too much to him.  
And he didn't even know if he wanted a thing with Bucky, or just a few nights thing.  
It was all too confusing.

"Fuck feelings."  
Yeah, he could do that.  
Fuck it all and block 'em off.  
That was always his strategy.

But something about this was compelling.  
Irresistible, one might say.  
Pathetic, he knows.  
He didn't want his feelings to be blocked off.  
They felt nice and warm and he missed that feeling.

'Maybe,' he thought, 'if I spend less time with him they'll go away.'  
It was a great plan.  
Obviously, he made it.  
So that was that.

Spend less time with James Buchanan Barnes and you'll be safe and sound.  
Sounds good, no?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky's trying to get closer to Tony, to spend more time with him.  
>  Tony's trying to push him away without raising suspicion.  
> Steve wants to talk to Tony.

Bucky had a small plan: get closer to Tony Stark.  
He didn't care much for what he did with Tony, as long as he was with Tony he was fine.  
So, as he was currently sitting in the lab with his arm on the table, he was trying to think of what to do after it.  
He figured he should talk to Tony, say something.  
But what?

"Star Trek?"  
That was probably a stupid thing to say, but it was all he had.  
Tony seemed to freeze up at his words before continuing his work.  
He took a breath before he answered Bucky.

"No can do, buddy. Dum-E needs fixing."  
Bucky scrunched up his eyebrows as he looked over to Dum-E.  
Tony ignored the feeling in his stomach at the face Bucky had made.  
This wasn't working.

"Looks fine," Bucky grumbled, looking back at Tony.  
"Ah, that's where he tricks you. He's dead inside."  
Bucky narrowed his eyes at Tony.  
Tony suppressed a squirm.

Bucky sighed as he relaxed his eyes.  
"Fine."  
Tony felt something inside him hurt a little.  
Bucky just looked...Defeated.  
He hated it.  
But maybe it was working.

\---

Tony was down in the training room, working on his hand-to-hand combat.  
He was getting his stress out on the dummy, whether it be improper or not.  
It hasn't even been five hours and all Tony could think about was Bucky.  
Nothing specific about him, just...Bucky.

"You're doing it wrong."  
Tony stopped punching and looked over to the door, breathing heavily.  
"Yeah? Suppose you should know all about it, then?"  
The blonde nodded, his hands in his pockets.

"Power doesn't come from your arms, it comes mostly from your hips. Twist 'em."  
Tony sighed as he shook his head.  
"What'd'ya want, Rogers?"  
"I wanted to know if you were alright."

Tony barked out a laugh, shooting a look of pained amusement at Steve.  
"That's a first."  
Steve shook his head as he approached Tony carefully.  
"No, it's not. You just don't notice it."

Tony rolled his eyes as he walked away from Steve, grabbing his water bottle.  
"What's with the mother hen talk? Did someone blame me for something?"  
"If someone blamed you for something, wouldn't you know?"  
"I'm normally the last one to know."  
"Tony..."

Tony raised his eyebrows at him, daring him to say something.  
"What is it, Cap? What did you want to talk about? I've got a meeting to go to."  
That was a lie, but he wasn't in the mood for Steve.  
"It's about Bucky," Steve said, his eyes kind and oblivious.

Tony swallowed at the name, building his wall higher, stronger.  
"What about your bestie?"  
"You're ignoring him."  
"No, I'm not. I talked to him just this morning. Fixed his arm some more."  
Steve sighed, "that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean, Grandpa?"  
"I meant," he said, walking forwards. "Since that moment."  
"Just 'cause I said no to Star Trek?"  
Steve nodded. "You never say no to Star Trek. Not with the people who haven't seen it."

Tony shrugged as he stared Steve down.  
It was like a test of power, of will.  
It always was with them.  
No matter the situation.

"What's your problem, Tony? I just want to help."  
"I don't have a problem, Rogers. I just had to do something."  
"And what was that?"  
"Dum-E needed to be fixed. So I fixed him. Do you have a problem with that? Do you want me to run all my ideas and plans by you? Make sure it's not gonna hurt you?"  
With another sigh, Steve closed his eyes.

Tony won the test.  
"Look," he said, making Steve open his eyes again. "I'm sorry I can't spend every moment with your dear ol' pal, okay? It shouldn't be a problem that I want my space every once in a while."  
Tony's words were spat out harshly.  
Tony didn't even know he was going to say it like that.

Steve nodded, taking deep breaths.  
He looked like he wanted to say something.  
Yell at Tony, probably.  
Call him an idiot, like he always did.

Instead, he just turned around and left.  
Left Tony standing there like he won.  
But he hadn't.  
No, he lost more than he knew.

\---

Bucky was bored and wanted to do something.  
Blindly, he walked down to the lab.  
He hadn't realized where he was going until he stopped inside the room.  
He saw Tony sitting on the couch, head in his hands.  
Dum-E was whizzing in circles by his head.

Bucky paused when he saw Tony.  
He didn't think he's ever seen him like that.  
Was it bad?

"Tony?"  
The brunette's head shot up, snapping towards Bucky.  
His eyes were wide and filled with something before it disappeared.  
He dropped his hands into his lap as he stood.  
He sent Bucky a cheeky grin, making Bucky temporarily what he just saw.

"What's up, Barnes?" He asked, walking over to his desk.  
Bucky followed him, despite the turned back.  
"Bored," was all he said.  
Tony understood, but he couldn't do a thing about it.

"Sorry, buddy, but I'm no help. Clint's in the vents if you want," Tony informed.  
Bucky shook his head.   
"No?" Tony asked, looking at him oddly.  
"Guess I am better than Clint, but he's your only option."

Bucky blinked at Tony, trying to understand what he was doing.  
Did he hate him?  
A horrifying thought ran across Bucky's mind.  
He knew.

He knew how he felt and he was disgusted.  
Oh, God, no.  
Bucky could barely stomach the thought.  
"Why?" He croaked out.

Tony looked at him oddly.  
He was masking his pain with confusion.  
"Why what?"  
Bucky seemed to shake slightly at that.

"Why are you ignoring me?"  
"I'm not-"  
"Yes, you are."  
Tony sighed as he couldn't think of anything to say.

Instead of saying anything, he went to get a drink.  
Bucky sighed as he watched Tony chug a beer.  
He bit his lip and shook his head, turning back to the lab door.  
Tony just watched him leave.

Their plans were going downhill, and they didn't know how to fix it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is becoming the mother hen of his two friends.  
>  Bucky freaks out.  
> Tony gets drunk and makes Steve pity him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of Steve and Tony 'bonding'...?   
> Basically, Tony's drunk and tells Steve things that make him feel closer to Tony.
> 
> This is kinda turning into a Steve/Tony thing, but it's not gonna end that way.  
> Oh! and speaking of endings, this story is going to end soon, so happy ending beware!

Bucky wasn't okay.  
Tony was disgusted by his feelings.  
How did he even know his feelings?  
Did Steve tell him?

No, Steve wouldn't.  
...Right?  
He stormed into Steve's room.  
Steve was reading his book on his bed.

"Bucky?"  
"Did you tell him?"  
Steve faltered as he put his book down.  
"Tell who what?"

"Tell Tony how I feel," Bucky growled.  
Steve got up with a sincere look on his face.  
"Never. You told me not to."  
"Then how does he know?"

"Buck...I doubt Tony knows," Steve tried.  
"Then why's he ignoring me, huh?"  
Steve shook his head. "I have no idea, Bucky. He wouldn't tell me."  
Bucky didn't know what to say anymore.

Steve placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"Look, Buck, I know what you're thinking. But Tony isn't disgusted about it."  
"Yeah? And how would you know?"  
"He's brought a few men back to the tower."

Bucky faltered, staring at Steve wide-eyed.  
"H-He has?"  
Steve nodded. "He thinks we didn't see, but they can't sneak out of the tower without someone finding out."  
"So he's not..." Bucky couldn't bring himself to say the word.  
Steve shook his head. "Not even a little bit."

"Then why is he ignoring me?"  
"I have no idea, Buck, I'm sorry. I wish I knew more."  
Bucky shook his own head. "It's fine."  
"I can talk to him if you want," Steve suggested.

"Would you?" Bucky asked.  
He looked like a little kid, and Steve felt his heart break a little.  
Bucky rarely ever looked like that, and when he did, he knew it was something that was hurting him.  
"I would."

\---  
The lab's lights were turned down low.  
Steve couldn't see Tony or any of his projects.  
All he could make out was the faint sound of rolling bottles.  
"Tony?"

The smash of a bottle made Steve jump.  
"Shit."  
Steve walked towards the voice, hesitant in his steps.  
"Tony?" He tried again.

"Cap'n," Tony slurred.  
"Are you drunk?" He asked, crouching down to the sitting Tony.  
"That may be an under...ment," Tony said.  
"Yeah, you're drunk."

Tony swatted Steve away limply.  
There were some shards of glass next to Tony.  
'The bottle,' Steve thought.  
"C'mon, let's move you," he said, lifting Tony up and away from the broken bottle.

"Tony, what did you do?" He wondered aloud, making Tony shake his head.  
"Helping," he said.  
"What could this possibly help?"  
"Pain."

Steve slumped his shoulders.  
"What pain?" He asked.  
"B..."  
"B?"  
"Yeah," Tony breathed, "arm guy."

"Bucky," Steve clarified.  
Tony patted Steve's cheek.  
"Smart-ass."  
Steve shook his head.

"Why're you drinking away the pain? What does Bucky have to do with it?"  
"He caused it," Tony said weakly.  
"Caused it? Bucky wouldn't hurt you."  
Sloppily, Tony patted his heart.

"Oh..." Was all Steve could say.  
Now he understood.  
"You have feelings for him?"  
"Shh!" Tony whispered, pushing his finger onto Steve's lips.

Steve pushed it off and sat back on his heels.  
"Why not just tell him?" He asked, knowing it was idiotic.  
Tony was drunk, and he could rarely ever get something through him when he was sober, so drunk was worse.  
"S'not gonna work."

"Of course it would work, Tony."  
Tony shook his head.   
"Not...Later."  
"Later?"

Tony's eyes seemed to darken with memories, and Steve may have been a little bit scared.  
"Never works out, Steven."  
"But it can."  
"No, never with me. Trust me."

Steve sighed, God, he felt so bad.  
"But it could," he pushed, staring Tony in the eyes.  
He wasn't getting through to him.  
Suddenly, Tony jumped up, making Steve fall back in surprise.

"If it worked out for me I wouldn't be here!" He yelled, swinging his bottle around, making beer slosh around.  
"What?" Was all Steve had the mind to say.  
"Pepper!"  
"...Pepper...?" He breathed, standing up.

"I loved her," he slurred. "And I'm fuckin' single."  
"She had-"  
"M' self-centered! That's why she left me alone!"  
"Tony-"  
"Shut up!"

Steve snapped his mouth shut.  
Tony was frightening him and all he wanted to do was help.  
"I don't...I don't wanna put my heart," Tony paused. "Inta'Bucky and then just...Watch it vanish. You know?"  
Steve nodded his head. "Sure."

"I go around, pretending Pepper means not'ing to me now. She means the w-world to me. I don't wanna do that with Bucky when it doesn't work."  
Tony was very emotional when he was drunk, and Steve felt like he was taking advantage of it.  
"But it can work, Tony," he said softly.  
"Never d-does," Tony hiccuped, his eyes turning misty.

"But if you both-"  
"Steve! I don't wanna go 'round pretending I don't...have feelings for Bucky when...When I do."  
"Then tell him, Tony. Please just tell him," Steve pleaded.  
They just needed a chance.

"I don't wanna hurt him," Tony whispered.  
He seemed to fold in on himself as he sunk back to the ground, chugging the last of his beer.  
"Tony...You won't hurt him. Trust me, he's just as scared," Steve said, reaching out a hand to Tony.  
"Don'lie t'me, Steve."  
"I wouldn't."

Tony looked at him with pleading eyes.  
The unshed tears in them started to leave, his whole face hardening.  
He was starting to realize what he was doing.  
What he had said.

"I need you to leave," he said, pointing to the door.  
"Tony-"  
"Leave."  
Steve could do nothing but comply.

Hesitantly, he left, looking over his shoulder at the slumped Tony.  
He felt horrible.  
He realized that feelings were not their strong suit.  
And it destroyed them.

But that was what made Steve confident that they could work.  
Tony could help Bucky just as much as Bucky could help Tony.   
And that was why Steve was going to force them to just kiss already.  
No matter what.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning Tony refuses to speak.  
> Bucky's worried something will happen to Tony.  
> And Steve just wants them to be happy.

Tony came upstairs slowly and it looked like he was struggling to stand.  
He was wearing sunglasses to cover his eyes.  
Whether it was from the lack of sleep, tears, or light, no one knew.  
Not even Tony knew.

Steve and Bucky looked at him oddly as he came upstairs.  
Both for their own reasons.  
Tony kept his head down as he got his coffee.  
That was sure to help him.

"Tony," Bucky said tentatively. "You alright?"  
Tony waved him off as he drank his coffee, not caring for the burn.  
Steve and Bucky shared a look.  
The room was silent once more.

Tony sat down across from both men, keeping his eyes down.  
No matter how hard he tried, his eyes always found their way back to Bucky.  
Luckily for him, they couldn't see his eyes under the shades.  
Thank God, Tony thought.

Another shared glance from the Wonder Twins and Tony felt exposed.  
Like they could see through him.  
Tony never wanted to feel like that again.  
Not in his own damned tower.

"Tony," Steve started.  
"I'm gonna stop you right there, Cap," Tony interrupted, holding up a finger. "I'm fine, thank you. Stop being a mother hen."  
Steve swallowed his words as Bucky shot him a warning look.  
"Are you sure?" Bucky asked.

"Yes, one-hundred-percent. Now, I'll be in my lab if you need anything," he declared, standing up and left the kitchen.  
"That went well," Steve muttered, earning a sigh from Bucky.  
"You think he'll get over it?" Steve asked, looking down into his own coffee mug.  
Bucky shrugged. "I would hope so."

\---  
Tony had spent all day in his lab, not interrupted by the others.  
For that, he was grateful.  
But now, he was not so grateful.  
Cause here came the dreaded man.

"Barnes," Tony acknowledged, nodding as he worked on his project.  
"Stark," Bucky said back, coming to sit down right next to Tony.  
Steve said that maybe he should try a more 'out there' approach.  
Tony didn't even look at him, only flinched slightly.

"You need your arm fixed?" He asked, not being able to contain the small amount of eagerness that shown through his words.  
Bucky nodded, placing his arm on the table.  
He watched Tony push his other project away, and he felt guilty.  
Maybe he should come back later.

But then Tony was already feeling his arm and Bucky couldn't leave anymore.  
For a bit now, Tony's touches have bolted him in place.  
He didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse.  
He dealt with it as if it was both.

Despite how Tony may feel, his touches never differed.  
They were always soft and eager and explorative and Bucky couldn't ask for more.  
He was probably the most comfortable with Tony when it came to his arm.  
And Tony was making his way up the list with talking.

The lab was silent and Bucky found himself, once again, lost.  
Not the bad kind of lost, the good kind of lost.  
The type of lost that allowed him to stare at Tony for as long as he allowed.  
And he wanted to do it forever.

He could never get tired of Tony's face.  
He knew right then and there that his feelings weren't going away, they were only getting stronger.  
And Bucky felt his breath hitch when Tony put his hand on his shoulder gently.  
His fingers were splayed out on the scars and Bucky didn't know what to do.

It felt...Good.  
And that was strange.  
It never used to feel good.  
He doubted it was supposed to.

In turn, Bucky leaned into the touch.  
Tony's lip turned up a slight bit at the action.  
Bucky felt his heart flutter.  
Making Tony smile was now on his bucket list.

"Tony?"  
"Hm?"  
"How are you?"  
Tony seemed to falter at that.  
Like no one asked him that and it caught him off guard.

"Fine," he said, keeping all his attention on the arm.  
"You sure?"  
"Positive."  
Bucky sighed at that.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, knowing it was probably useless.  
"I have nothing to talk about," Tony muttered back.  
"That's a first," Bucky retorted.  
His answer earned him a snort and another flutter of his heart.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. Always have been always will be," Tony said, his eyes flicking up to meet Buckys.  
Bucky bit his lip and nodded.  
"If you say so."  
"I do say so, now stay still, don't wanna hurt your arm," Tony demanded.

\---

Tony didn't know how to feel anymore.  
He was sitting in his lab, the lights off and the holo screen playing.  
It was a rerun of...Something. Tony wasn't paying much attention to it. He was trying to figure out his life. His feelings. His God damned feelings that wouldn't leave him alone. He was at the point where he didn't know what to do. By feelings, he meant specifically for Bucky. James Buchanan Barnes was causing him too much trouble. Thing is, he didn't want Barnes to go. No, he wanted him to stay. Stay close to me, Tony's head reminded him. Tony just kept coming back for more Bucky, no matter what he said to himself. He was pathetic and everyone knew it. He was a pathetic forty-year-old with a pathetic crush. Yeah, that's right, he said crush. He realized that a long time ago, he just didn't want to say it. Not even right after the talk he had with Steve last night. If you could even call that a talk. His only problem was that he didn't know if he should take a shot. Should he just tell Bucky? Take him on a date? Kiss him? He wasn't good with this type of thing. Or maybe he should just take him to bed and everything would be forgotten. That was normally what happened with him. People took him to bed and that was the end of it. Bragging rights, really. He sighed as he leaned back into his couch, pursing his lips. Dammit, this was hard. He didn't want to take the shot and not have the feelings reciprocated. Which, in his mind, was probably going to happen. But then, what if they were? That thought alone was very coaxing. He sighed again and closed his eyes. Maybe tomorrow, he thought. Maybe tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry if this story is becoming repetitive, it'll all be over soon.  
>  Also, another apology if the last part of the chapter is all in one clump, the preview showed that to me the few times I tried it.  
>  So, again, sorry if anything is wrong or off about this chapter.
> 
> I also wanted to say a thank you for reading this story and leaving Kudos! Never thought I would get even one Kudo. But it does mean a lot to me so, again, thank you so much!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Tony are working up to courage to change their lives.  
> Will one of them do it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have planss!!!
> 
> Haha! I know what's gonna happen in great detail! I hope you guys'll like it, I think you will.  
> Anyway, enjoy this frustrating yet very pleasant(?) chapter!  
>  Bye!

Tony didn't think his hands had ever sweat so much.  
Not even when he was about to ask Pepper to marry him.  
Obviously, she ended the relationship before he could do it, but he was about to.  
Anyway, that is way off topic.

It was only him and Bucky in the kitchen, and Tony felt like he should take a chance.  
It felt right.  
"Hey, Bucky?" Tony asked, keeping his voice cool and collected.  
"Hm?"   
"I was wondering...Uh..." Shit, he was freezing up.

"Wondering?" Bucky asked, now looking up at Tony from his spot at the island.  
"..." Tony had nothing left to say.  
The air had been sucked out of his lungs and he couldn't think straight.  
"Fuck me."

"Fuck you?" Bucky asked, something flashing across his eyes.  
"No! I...Well...I mean...No...Shit."  
With that, Tony sped walked out of the kitchen and down to the lab, his breathing rapid.  
What the hell was that?  
Way to go, Stark, he thought, hitting himself in the head.

\----

Now, it was Bucky's turn to be nervous.  
Steve had just given him the 'pep-talk', acting like Bucky had never asked someone out before.  
"I got this, Stevie. I've had some practice," was his answer, but Steve only looked at him with hesitation.  
"Tony's different than all the dames, Buck."  
"Yeah," Bucky said with a forming grin. "He's a fella."  
Steve just rolled his eyes and pushed him down to the lab.

Bucky wasn't feeling confident, but he wasn't feeling like he had no self-confidence at all.  
He was in between.  
But he was still nervous.  
More nervous than he'd ever been.

He can't remember ever being this nervous.  
He supposed it was because all the dames used to want him.  
Did Tony even want him at all?  
He was a mess of a man who didn't remember much.  
That wasn't exactly boyfriend material.

He took a breath as he walked through the lab doors.  
He noticed that Tony was very absorbed with his Holo screen.  
His fingers were flying everywhere and he hadn't even turned around when Bucky entered.  
Bucky couldn't even read what was on the screen.

"Tony?"  
"That's me," Tony answered, not even turning to face Bucky.  
"I wanted to ask you something..."  
"I'm all ears, Barnes."

Bucky took another breath as he looked down at his feet.  
"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to grab dinner," he muttered.  
"What? Say that again, I didn't hear it," Tony said, now turning around.  
What Bucky saw made him loose his breath.

Tony's hair was all messed up and looked really soft.  
There were grease stains all over his face.  
His shirt was ripped in some places.  
And he had a goofy grin on his face.

Oh, there went all of Bucky's confidence.  
"Forget it," Bucky said, backing away.  
"Alright?" Tony said, clearly confused as his grin dropped.  
Bucky didn't even say goodbye before dashing away and back to Steve.

"I fucked up," was all he said before flopping down on the bed.  
Steve laughed but put a hand on his back.  
"It's fine, Buck. You can have other opportunities."

\---  
Tony was sulking.  
He fucked up and now he didn't know how he should go about it.  
He had the whole thing planned out in his head.  
Then he fucked up and he was not okay with that.

He even had the chance just a bit ago when Bucky came in.  
But then he ran away.  
He wondered what Bucky was going to ask him.  
Probably something about the arm.

He shook his head as he pushed himself out of his chair.  
He was going to do something about it.  
It was now or never, really.  
With a long sigh, he stormed out of his lab.

Bucky was ready.  
He was so ready.  
He was gonna find him and say exactly what he wanted.  
He was really going to do it.

No running away.  
No chickening out.  
Steve would be just around the corner to push him back if he ran.  
Hopefully, he wouldn't.

Finally, he made his way down to the lab.  
He had to do it before someone else did.

\--  
They bumped into each other on their way.  
Literally.  
They were both walking so fast and blind that they ended up on the floor.  
Well, 'they' being Tony and 'on the floor' being almost.  
At the last second, Bucky had caught him, holding him up.

For a moment, they were both silent, just...Staring.  
They could do it forever.  
In fact, they wanted to.  
But they both had plans.

Finally, Tony stood up on his own, fixing his shirt and running a hand through his hair.  
"Barnes."  
"Stark."  
Another moment of silence passed, and if you listened hard enough, you could hear the soft groan of Steve just around the corner.

"I need to talk to you," they said together.  
Some weak laughter floated around them as they spoke again.  
Tony rubbed the back of his neck and Bucky looked to his feet.  
"You go first," Tony offered, making Bucky nod.

"First, don't laugh after, would you?" Bucky asked.  
"Of course, if you do the same for me," Tony said.  
They silently agreed to the statements.  
Now or never, right?

With a rushed voice, he let it all out.   
"Would you maybe wanna go grab food with me someday?"  
Food? Dinner, he meant dinner.  
"Dinner," he corrected himself after a beat of silence.

Tony blinked, freezing up.  
Dinner?   
He...He could do that.  
Scratch that, he would LOVE to do that.  
So why wasn't he saying that?

Bucky took the silence horribly.  
"At least you didn't laugh," he muttered, playing with his fingers.  
He dropped his shoulders as he began to walk away.  
Tony finally did something.

"Barnes," he said, taking a step towards Bucky who was now in arms reach.  
Bucky turned around, a sad look on his face.  
With one swift movement, Bucky was crashing into Tony.

Tony's hands were wrapped tightly in Bucky's shirt and was pulling him as close as he could.  
With a moment's hesitation, Tony smashed his lips onto Bucky's.  
Embarrassingly, Bucky let out a little squeak at the contact.  
But oh, did it feel good.

Their lips molded together perfectly and Bucky felt himself relaxing into the kiss.  
Soon, his arms found their way around Tony's waist, pulling him closer.  
The kiss was nice and soft, full of pent up feelings.  
They never wanted it to end.

But soon they needed to breathe, and Bucky was the one to pull back.  
They were breathing heavily as they stared into each other's eyes.  
They couldn't say anything.  
They couldn't even think.

"Dinner?" Bucky finally asked, breaking the silence.  
Tony let out a breathy laugh as he grinned.  
"Yeah, dinner," he agreed.  
Bucky smiled and leaned his head back.

"Thank God!" Said a voice behind them.  
They both jumped apart, looking behind Bucky to find Steve standing there.  
"Steve!" Bucky hissed as Tony had wide eyes.  
"What?" He said innocently, making Bucky scowl at him.

"It's a miracle, really. But," Steve added, pointing two fingers at each man. "If either of you hurt the other, one of you will die."  
Tony held his hands up, getting his spirits back as Bucky was silent.  
"Don't worry, Capsicle, won't hurt a hair on Muscle Man over here," Tony said, winking at Bucky.  
Bucky tried to hide a smile as Steve shook his head, his own smile on his face as he turned around and left.

Bucky turned to Tony, the grin on his face seeming to be permanent now.  
"Saturday? Six?" Bucky asked.  
"Wear your best," Tony said, winking again.  
"Will do, Doll."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayye!
> 
> I did a thing!   
> I hope you guys did enjoy the kiss, I'm not very good at writing things like affection or actions that involve affection.  
>  I tend to be affectionless so this is my way of putting it all out there.  
> BUT I bet you thought that was the end, yeah?  
>  Well, you were almost right.  
> There will be an Epilogue before this story ends, but I just wanted to say a massive thank youf or reading this and hopefully you all enjoyed it!  
>  Love you guys, and bye!


	12. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Bucky are officially a couple.  
> Sweeter things couldn't happen for them both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, yes, this is supposed to be very short.
> 
> ...Don't judge it.

Tony, like always, was in his lab.  
He was working on new models for Bucky's arm.  
Bucky had made a joke of wanting lasers in his knuckles.  
Tony was taking it literally.

Tony laughed to himself as he swiveled around in his chair.  
His music was blasting and he sang along.  
He hadn't heard the doors opening beside him.  
Nor did he see the figure standing beside him.

As Tony turned to the side mid-song, he simply grinned.  
The sight of Bucky always made him happy.  
He pointed to Bucky as he jumped out of his chair.  
Tony continued singing as Bucky approached him.

The grin on Bucky's face was unmistakable.  
Tony's grin grew as he swung an arm around Bucky's neck.  
Immediately, Bucky threw his own around his waist, pulling Tony closer.  
Tony kept singing--yelling--as Bucky just watched.

Tony always fascinated him, and Bucky could spend a lifetime just watching Tony.  
And Tony acting so carefree and happy was something he never wanted to end.  
Especially if he was the one to cause it.

The song ended and Tony went silent.  
A shit eating grin was plastered on his face as the music stopped.  
The lab was left in silence as they stared at each other.

"Admiring the view?" Tony asked.  
Bucky laughed. "Always am, doll."  
"You better be," Tony said. "I don't get all dolled up for nothing."  
"If this is you 'dolled up', can't wait to see you in a fancy-ass suit."

Tony sent him a wink and went to pull away, but Bucky pulled him closer once again.  
With a devilish smirk, he pressed his lips to Tony's.  
Bucky was given a groan from Tony before he pulled away.  
His grin reached his eyes, and Tony may have felt weak in the knees.

"I love you," Bucky whispered, his grin turning into a loving smile.  
Tony let out a shaky breath. He hadn't said it back yet, he was still learning to react to the care Bucky gave him.  
"You don't have to-"  
"I love you too, James Buchanan Barnes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! How'd it gooo? Did you like it? 
> 
> Anyway, that was the ending of my small little story, hope you enjoyed it!   
> I did work hard on this and to make it a decent story some people would read.  
>  But thank you all for reading this and leaving Kudos, it does mean a lot to me, truly, it does.  
> I am also making a Star Trek (Reboot, not the original masterpiece) preferences and imagines book. It would do me great pleasure that, when it's up, you would go check it out, please.
> 
> Anyway, that's the last you'll hear from me on this book, and I hope you guys have a nice life and have truly enjoyed the book.  
>  Love you all and Bye!!!


End file.
